


Take Your Pic

by Kkane88



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:54:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24914170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kkane88/pseuds/Kkane88
Summary: Written for the prompt:"Am I your lockscreen?""You weren't supposed to see that."
Relationships: Jordan Eberle/Taylor Hall
Comments: 1
Kudos: 58
Collections: Discord 2





	Take Your Pic

**Author's Note:**

> I went deep diving into Hallberle content this week, so I'm bringing my dead ship back to life

"Tay, get dressed, we gotta go!" Ebs says as he comes into the living room and sees Taylor lounging on the couch in his pajamas. Taylor looks up at him with a sigh.

"I'm not going," he says for the fifth time, letting irritation seep into his voice. "I already told you."

"I didn't think you were serious." Ebs comes over to stand next to the couch and lays a hand on Taylor's shoulder. "Why don't you want to come?"

"I just don't feel like it," he says. The thought of going out, being surrounded by people, drinking and trying to pretend he wants to hit on girls instead of Jordan is exhausting. He can't bring himself to fake it tonight. While Ebs was getting ready to go, Taylor had settled into his favorite spot on the couch with some snacks, video games, and movies, hoping maybe if he presented a cozy enough picture that Ebs would decide to stay in with him. It doesn't seem to have worked.

"Fine, you party pooper," Jordan teases, slipping his hand up to run through Taylor's hair, grabbing a handful and shaking Taylor's head around playfully. "I'll go have fun without you."

"Pretty sure I'll be having more fun than you," Taylor argues, gesturing to his snacks. " And I won't have a hangover tomorrow." Jordan rolls his eyes and pulls his hand out of Taylor's hair.

"Whatever, Hallsy." And then, more seriously, "Are you sure? It won't be as fun without you."

"You could always stay here with me, then," Taylor suggests before he can think twice about it. He's surprised when Jordan hesitates, like he's actually considering it.

"I already promised Nuge we'd be there," he says, "and we can't both bail."

"Whatever," Taylor sighs grabbing the playstation controller. "I'll be here when you get back." He doesn't look at Jordan again, but he can feel his hesitation, the way he lingers next to the couch like he really doesn't want to leave- at least, that’s what Taylor tells himself- until he finally walks away with a muttered, _later_.

Taylor starts off trying to play video games but playing by himself just isn't the same. There's no one to yell at him when he kills their character in COD or runs them off the road in Mario Kart or beats them in Chel. He tries to turn on a movie, but it feels horribly silent without Ebs's constant chatter that Taylor pretends to hate. He used to love being by himself all the time, but now it feels like he's missing something: like there's a gaping hole in the seat next to him where Ebs usually sits. He's not _needy_ , he just… likes his alone time better when Ebs is there to be alone with. It feels a little pathetic.

Especially when he picks his phone up for the 100th time to check if Jordan has texted him. He didn't realize that's what he was doing at first, but when he finds himself opening his messages just to check that he hasn't missed anything… 

Well, maybe if he just texts Jordan, he can get this out of his system.

_ 'Having fun?' _ he sends, surprised when he gets an answer almost immediately.

_ 'More fun if you were here :('  _ the message says. Taylor heart skips and he scowls down at his own traitorous chest. He keeps telling himself he's not allowed to feel feelings for Jordan, but his body can't seem to get the memo.

_ 'You know where to find me,' _ he sends, and then closes his messages. He can't bring himself to put his phone down, so on a whim he opens up his gallery and starts swiping through his pictures, catching himself smiling at all the dumb pictures he and Jordan have taken of and with each other. He gets caught on the picture of them from a few months ago at Christmas, wearing their almost-matching sweaters in front of the tree they had decorated together. It's gives him a bittersweet feeling: having his own apartment with Jordan, decorating with him, making dinner, and inviting people over… it's kind of like pretending. It's something he'll never have for real, as a real couple, but he can have it for now. Even if Jordan doesn't feel the same. He makes the picture his lock screen background without really realizing he'd doing it. He'll change it tomorrow, before anyone can see, but maybe tonight he can pretend a little more: pretend that Jordan's his boyfriend, pretend that that's ever something he could have.

He turns on another movie and doesn't stop himself from hitting the button on his phone every once in a while, just to look at the picture. Without even realizing it, he eventually drifts off to sleep with the phone resting on his chest.

He doesn't know what wakes him up, at first. He's disoriented, a little groggy, when he sees Jordan standing over him with his phone in hand. Taylor doesn't understand what he's doing until he realizes with a jolt that it's _his own phone_ in Jordan's hand. With a surge of adrenaline he sits up, reaching out for the phone, but Jordan takes a step back.

"You made us your lock screen?" he asks, a puzzled look on his face.

"You weren't supposed to see that." A split second later, Taylor's brain catches up with his mouth and he manages to snatch the phone out of Jordan's hands in horror. "You're back early," he says when he catches sight of the time, trying to distract Jordan from the admission.

"Yeah, I…" Jordan trails off, still with that confused look on his face. Taylor turns his focus to the TV, starting a new movie just for something to do. Jordan's eyes never leave him, feeling like a brand on his skin. "I wanted to come back and hang with you instead," he finally says. Taylor can still feel his cheeks burning from embarrassment and he keeps his eyes on the TV. Jordan steps past Taylor and settles down next to him in his usual spot on the couch, but this time… he sits close. They're practically pressed together, and Jordan's hand brushes his when he reaches for the snacks between them.

They don’t say anything, which is a far cry from their usual bickering. Taylor can feel Jordan's eyes on him, can practically hear the wheels turning in his head. Taylor wants to puke. He's managed to keep his feelings out of their friendship for this long, why did he have to go and mess it up now?

As they move on to the next movie, he sees the way Jordan’s head starts drooping, his grip on his bag of chips loosening. Taylor guesses that the alcohol is finally getting to him, and he moves the snacks out of the way when Jordan's head slumps down onto Taylor's shoulder. He should wake Jordan up, make him move to his bed, but if this is the last time that he gets to be close with Jordan without his feelings messing things up, he's going to cherish it. He moves so that Jordan's head is at a more comfortable angle and pulls the blanket down that was thrown over the couch behind his head, draping it over both of them. It doesn't take him long to fall asleep, head resting on Jordan's.

When Taylor wakes up the next morning, he's alone on the couch. All of the mess from the night before has been cleaned up, the blanket tucked in around Taylor, and he can hear noises coming from the kitchen. He eyes the door to his bedroom, wondering if he could make it to his room without having to face Jordan, when he hears him.

"Oh good, you're awake!" Jordan says, poking his head into the living room. "Come in here." Taylor's heart drops into his stomach, but he stands. He owes Jordan an explanation, but he's already thinking of ways he can talk himself out of this. How does he explain away changing a months-old Christmas picture to his phone background, when Jordan knows for sure that wasn't his background the day before? When he gets into the kitchen, Jordan's standing on one side of the island and he gestures for Taylor to sit down across from him. Taylor sits.

"So," Taylor starts, before his voice fails him. His hands are shaking a bit and he keeps them in his lap so Jordan won't see.

"So…" Jordan repeats. "I'm kinda in love with you, Tay." Taylor almost falls out of his chair in shock.

" _What_?" Jordan looks unapologetic, squaring his shoulders and smiling, but Taylor can see how nervous he is.

"I've loved you for a while now," Jordan continues. "And I wasn't gonna say anything, but I'm kinda having the feeling that you might feel the same way?" He phrases it as a question, but as the seconds tick by without Taylor saying anything, his shoulders start to droop. Taylor's literally struck speechless. "Unless I read that completely wrong and just ruined our entire friendship." Jordan's voice is small and Taylor's on his feet before he decides to move, rounding the counter and pulling Jordan into his arms. Jordan slumps against him, forehead falling onto Taylor's shoulder.

"You didn't read it wrong," Taylor finally forces himself to say. "I just… I didn't know. I wasn't gonna tell you. I kinda thought this conversation was going to be the opposite of what it is." He takes a deep breath. If Jordan can be brave, so can he. "I love you, too." Jordan pulls his head back, leaving his hands fisted in Taylor's shirt, and grins up at Taylor. He secretly loves the gap between Jordan's teeth, but Jordan's so self-conscious about it he never smiles like this. It's like a gift.

"Like for real?" Jordan asks, like he doesn't quite believe it.

"Yes, you idiot," Taylor huffs. "And I think this is the part where I kiss you." Jordan's grin gets wider, if possible, and he pulls Taylor closer.

"Get to it, then." And then their lips are meeting, slotting together like puzzle pieces, and it's just as good as Taylor always thought it would be. Jordan isn't a passive kisser, surging up to meet Taylor's lips, licking and biting, not letting it stay slow and sweet like Taylor was expecting. He doesn't know why he didn't expect it; it's so completely Jordan that he forgets any reasons why he was nervous to begin with, settling into the familiarity of it. He finds himself laughing against Jordan's lips, the giggles bubbling out of him until he has to pull away and rest his forehead against Jordan's. "Are you giggling?" Jordan asks through his own laughter. "I've never heard you giggle before."

"I've never kissed my best friend before," Taylor argues, blushing. Jordan presses up again, kissing Taylor just once, quickly, before pulling away.

"So we have a day off today," he says innocently, starting to walk backwards toward the hallway, pulling Taylor by the hand. Taylor raises an unimpressed eyebrow. "If you're not doing anything, I think I have some ideas of what we can do today."

"Do these plans involve a bed?" Taylor asks.

Jordan grins.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr:  
> [kkane88](https://kkane88.tumblr.com/)  
> [kwriteshockey](https://kwriteshockey.tumblr.com//)


End file.
